Arsenal will be forced to wait until the summer if they want to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.
The 17-year-old is the latest impressive product of the world-famous Ajax academy and clubs are beginning to circle.
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Hato has already captained the Dutch giants twice and made his senior debut for the Netherlands in 2023.
According to Give Me Sport, the Gunners are keen to bolster their defence and Hato is on their shortlist.
However, they will be blocked from signing the centre-back this month due to post-Brexit rules.
Since the start of 2021, English clubs have been banned from signing overseas players under the age of 18 to their academies.
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Meanwhile, the signings of 18 to 21-year-olds is limited to three in the January transfer window, and six per season.
It is a rule that would have prevented Cesc Fabregas from joining Arsenal's youth system in 2003 - and it could scupper the club's bid for Hato.
The teenager turns 18 in March, so the Gunners can sign him in the summer, but there is nothing to stop a European giant from Germany or Spain swooping in this month.
Speaking about the post-Brexit rules for transfers before their introduction, talkSPORT host Simon Jordan argued they are good for the development of young English talent.
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The former Crystal Palace owner said: “How many times do the kids come through our academies and get the opportunities they should be getting? Not often.
“Chelsea only did it in 2020 because Frank Lampard had a 'needs must' scenario and gave a lot of our young players opportunities.
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“I don’t think this is disadvantageous, it’s a reality of the circumstances we find ourselves in.
"There’s enormous investment going into youth academies, there’s an enormous pool of talent, we’ve got our coaching criteria up to a level - so what’s the issue?”